University of Console Heroics: Chapter 13

The intro to energy midterm is over. The class is awkwardly sitting around Foster who is proudly sitting in the rest of the room. Electric red fire rising up from his shoulders.  He is sitting with his legs crossed but he has a predatory shit eating grin spread across his face. He was staring at Cynthia who was staring right back, somewhat less than pleased.

She uncrossed her legs and stood up. “Class dismissed.” She didn’t have to say anything else. Everyone else in the class scrambled to get their things and quickly vacate the room. Not a single one of them looking back in Fosters direction. Foster uncrossed his legs and the fire on his shoulders was snuffed out. He leaned back assured of himself. Cynthia sat in front of him but further back than normal. “Well, I guess he felt like talking.”

Foster looked at his right hand “Not exactly.” He replied.

Cynthia waved her hand referencing the red flames. “He must have helped you in some way.” She said.

Foster walked a red flame up and down the tips of his fingers in the same way that Thompson had. “I wouldn’t call it helping, it was more of an awakening.” He said closing his fist and snuffing out the flame. Giving his best attempt at a disarming smile. “Cynthia, there is nothing to worry about, everything is under control.”

His overeager assurance pushed her over the line into worry and concern. “Under the control of what Foster?” She asked while getting to her feet.

Foster joined her in standing. “This was your idea, remember?” He accused.

Cynthia turned away from him to grab her bag. “Then I was wrong for sending you to him.”

Foster held out his hands at his sides. “How can you say that this,” Foster exploded in full body flame. “Is wrong!”  

Cynthia felt the heat and turned to face him, backing up against the front wall.  She glanced at the open classroom door and Foster brought the fire back under control. She angrily grabbed her back and walked over to the door.

Foster killed his flame and grabbed his shoes. “He wants to see you…You know that right?” He offered.

Cynthia stopped packing her bag. “He is welcome to see me whenever he likes.” She spat her answer over her shoulder.

Foster pulled his second shoe on. “How about tonight? He asked me to pass along an invite to dinner at his place.”

She shouldered her bag and turned to face him. “He could have just called me.” She said.

Foster shook his head. “Fear of rejection turns every man into a coward.”

Cynthia moved forward until she was aggressively in Fosters space, and even though he was taller than she was, she stared him down. “And power turns every man into a liar.” She growled, leading Foster to look away in submission.

“What makes you say that?” He asked.

Cynthia moved to the door. “Dean knows that I would never turn him away. Therefor you are lying.” She accused.

Foster looked at his feet. “I thought it was what you wanted to hear.” He admitted.

She left her reply behind as she walked through the door and out into the hall. “Think again. Get your head on straight Foster, cause something in you isn’t right.”

Foster waited until he heard the front door of the building close behind her and punched the classroom wall.

Shades of Justice: Chapter 17

Blinding Light was losing the fight against the tentacles. They had completely wrapped around each of its limbs and its chest and were slowly dragging it back into the sea. The beach sand was scarred by the drag marks of Blinding Lights feet as it was pulled further into the water. As the ocean waves were crashing against its waist compartments all over the body opened to reveal lift off jets which fired, beginning to lift Blinding light out of the water as the tentacles pulled back. The output got brighter and larger. Again Blinding light make a little upward motion out of the water, until the jets ran out of fuel, the fires died and the compartments closed. The tentacles reaffirmed their grip and finished dragging blinding light beneath the waves.

In the command center shades were looking a long lists of internal and external damage from the tentacles. Now that they were beneath the surface of the ocean though they could see the entirety of the monstrosity that had defeated them.

It was an ancient squid so impossibly large that it did not seem proper for the earth itself to contain it. With its prize secured the leviathan made its way deeper into the depths of the ocean.

As Blinding light was dragged along the pressure of the water began to cause its own damage to the mecha. Warning lights flashed and alarms went off. The left arm elbow joint bucked and tore until all information coming from the systems it contained ceased and the status lights went dead. Everything in the giant mecha was on the verge of failure. The view screen flickered in and out and was beginning to crack.

The lights on the outside of Blinding light were the only sources of real light this deep in the ocean. As they began to fail, flicker and die the abyss filled with ancient nightmares once again returned to its mysteriously inky darkness.

Inside the command room a new alarm joined the cacophony. Blinding Lights onboard oxygen storage was damaged and they could see their air bubble out and upward toward the now impossibly distant surface.

The Leviathan settled on the ocean floor, pulled blinding light in close and closed it eyes.

Gordon pulled the Oxygen warning up on his console. “Sonya we’ve got about seven minutes of air left, what the hell do we do now?” He asked.

Sonya was looking through the depressingly small list of powers still available to use on Blinding Light. “I’m looking, give me a minute.” She answered.

Dante looked in her direction away from his screens “We don’t exactly have a lot of those left you know?” He was starting to panic.

“Electricity” Kelly blurted out.” The others looked her direction.

“What?” Sonya asked.

“Our left arm is damaged, that’s our primary sword arm, so we can’t summon the Blade of Blinding light, but it’s also the secondary power station, so maybe we could figure out a way to electrify the entire mecha and irritate the leviathan enough to let us go.” She explained.

Dante pulled up the status of the left arm. It showed the power station was still generating power but there was nothing in the left arm to use it for. “We’ve got the power but we need to access it. Somehow.” He enlarged the status window.

“And we’re going to have to figure it out on our own, because communications are down.” Warren added.

Everyone looked to Sonya. “All right kids, stay calm and start thinking of a plan, we’ve got less than seven minutes to make this happen.”

Blood and Profit: Chapter 40

With his sister found, Eamon turned back toward his ship. "Let's go, I can't guarantee the council is smart enough to realize attacking the forest is the stupidest course of action." 

Mew stayed where she was. "And the second stupidest is thinking that we can just walk away from this situation. I may have crashed but you came Willingly." 

Her point made Eamon turn back around. "This situation calls for more experience than either of us have." He said.

She nodded. "Entirely true. But until the rest of the planet makes up their mind, I'm not abandoning the Starseeds, not now."

Eamon pointed at the still silent line of Starseeds that had greeted him. "What could they possibly have done to earn your trust and loyalty this quickly?" He asked skeptically.

Mew looked annoyed. "You mean other than not kill me, bring me to you, and let us go freely after the one aboard my shuttle died? Nothing more than diverting from their journey to save this entire planet." She answered.

Eamon was frustrated now. "Save us from what Mew?" He almost yelled.

Mew shook her head. "It's very hard to describe," She started as the nearest Starseed in the greeting line moved forward to stand next to Mew. "Much easier to see it for yourself." She said as the Starseed reached out a limb of branches and vines with one tendril extending further than the rest which touched Eamon right between the eyes, which instantly clouded over as the rest of his face went slack.

Lidarion: Chapter 12

“Now are you going to give me a hug or do I need to get you drunk first?” Alex asked a huge smile crept across her face. Trent hugged her, the entire bar came back to exuberant life. Lisa breathed a sigh of relief. Alex moved them to the nearest empty table and sat down with Lisa and Trent. “So tell me everything, starting with your lady friend’s name.” Alex glanced at Lisa.

Lisa held out her hand. “I’m Lisa, I’d love to say I’m his big sister but something tells me that that particular job was taken long before I ever met him.” She smiled warmly.

Alex laughed and shook her head. “If he’s anything like he used to be as a kid he needs all the level headed oversight he can get, I appreciate you looking after him all these years.” They shook hands warmly. “Do you have anything to do with his banishment ending?” She asked.

Lisa looked confused and Trent’s head dropped into his hands. “Banishment?” Lisa said shooting a look at Trent.

Trent glared at Alex. “Yeah I hadn’t actually told her about that part.” He whispered in Alex’s direction.

Alex looked shocked for about half a second then stood without a word. Turned and addressed the entire establishment. “We’re closed. All your tabs are settled. If word of the last five minutes leaves this room I will find out where that word came from and they will be unwelcome in my house for the rest of their lives.” The patron’s didn’t need the threat, they were all in love with the establishment and most has at least a passing interest in Alex, none had an interest in loosing access to one of Lidarion’s best kept secrets.

When the bar was empty except for the trio Alex moved to the nearest window and pushed the curtain aside just enough to check the street and make sure her patrons where shuffling on about their lives. “That won’t buy you much cover, I can almost guarantee that at the very least one of the king’s spies noticed that you have returned.” She looked as far down the street as she could.

Lisa looked at Trent in shock. “Trent I’m sorry. When you said you couldn’t come here you really meant it, I shouldn’t have pressured you.”

Trent shook his head. “Lisa I can’t run away from this forever, and now that most of the cards are on the table I might as well show you the whole hand, the King’s reaction is the least of my worries.” He said seriously.

“He’s coming.” Alex said moving away from the window.

Lisa watched as she returned to the table and waved her arms to usher them behind the bar. “Who’s coming?” Lisa asked.

Trent got down on his knees behind the bar as Alex replied. “One of the only two people who employ better spies than the king.” She said, causing Lisa to scurry under the bar herself.

Alex disappeared from view and Lisa could hear her move around the room cleaning table after table brining the items from each back to the bar.

Lisa heard the front door open and a higher pitched voice asked “Where is he Alex?” The voice asked.

She heard Lisa turn to address the new person. “Where’s who?” She feigned ignorance poorly, even Lisa could hear the insincerity in her voice.

Lisa looked at Trent who returned her glance with extreme nervousness.

“He’s here Lisa, why is he hiding?” The voice asked. She then heard lighter heeled footsteps make their way toward the bar. Trent appeared to be vibrating he was so Nervous. Looked down the opposite end of the bar to see the wood wall that left no escape for them. Suddenly a gnome poked his head around the open corner of the bar. “Trent what are you doing hiding under the bar?” the gnome asked, then glanced at Lisa. “And who is your lady friend?” He asked with more personal interest and less general curiosity.

Trent stood up and Lisa followed suit. “Squints! Sorry about that, Alex and I were messing with Lisa.” Alex, Squints, and Trent smiled at her. “Squint's this is Lisa, and she is very gullible.”

Lisa glared at him. “I hate you. Be honest, is the banishment story even real?” she asked.

Trent nodded. “Very real. The king and I are not friends.”

Lisa moved back around the bar. “Then why not tell me that before we left Saintcitia? Why risk what I’m assuming is a severe punishment for me?”  She asked.

“Because we are friends.” Trent smiled.

The XP: Chapter 12

Stygian, Bob and Blackout are farming mobs in a zone called the Volcanic Wastes. Blackout casts a spell that causes the three fire imps charging him to fade out of existence. “How come we’re farming for cash here instead of the Temple Flats?” He asked.

Stygian easily finished off the last group of enemies with a single swing of his absolutely massive sword. “Did you not read the patch notes?” Blackout shook his head. “From now on your first death has a ten minute re-spawn timer and starts a one hour clock. If you die again in that hour your re-spawn is a half hour and the clock resets back to an hour. Third death earns you a twenty four hour re-spawn delay.” Stygian explained.

Blackout grimaced. “Lemmie guess, the next day they hour timer resets and if you die a fourth time they send someone to your home to kick you in the balls?” He said as he and Stygian fist bumped.

Torcano appeared in the zone and ran over to his friends. “I made it! I’m a GM!” He shouted.

Blackout and Stygian met Torcano halfway. Bob finished off the mob’s she was fighting and joined them. “Grats. You’re ‘the man’ now dog.” She deadpanned.

Torcano looked a little down. “Come on Bob this is a good thing, don’t be like that. I’m gonna get paid to play the game!” Torcano leapt into the air, unable to control his excitement.

Bob was still unimpressed. “And police the player base.” She reminded him.

Torcano nodded. “You have to admit, most of the players could you some policing. If I see another 'SukmeyeByall’s' I’m gonna scream.”

Stygian pointed at Torcano while talking to Bob. “Man’s got a point.”

Bob shook her head. “Whatever.” She replied turning and walking away.

“When do you start?” She heard Stygian ask.

“And what do you do when you’re not actively helping players?” Blackout asked before she was out of earshot.

She looked around the empty Volcanic Wastelands waiting for a mob to spawn. Volnado appeared instead. “So your brother made it, he’s a full time tool now.” She nearly spat at him.

Volando looks out in the same direction as Bob. “Guess you wouldn’t be happy for me if I told you that I made it as well.” He replied.

Bob shrugged her shoulders “I should be happy for you, it’s what you both wanted.”

Volnado nodded. “And your only annoyed with Torcano, It’s totally fine if I become a tool?” He asked.

Bob sat down on the ground. “Yeah, no, I don’t know. Look, why don’t you go celebrate with the others?” She sighed.

Volnado shook his head. “We were supposed to tell everyone together, but he couldn’t wait.” Volnado looked back at his brother horsing around the Stygian and Blackout. “Just another example of him being an attention whore.”

Bob looked back over her shoulder at Torcano. “Don’t take it personally. His awareness of the world doesn’t extend much past his own nose.” She turned away from her friends.

Volnado nodded. “Trust me, I’ve noticed.”

“Go steal some of his thunder. You deserve to celebrate with them just as much as he does.” She said just before fading out of the game.

Volnado looked back at the trio in the distance. “Yeah, thanks.” He said to the wastes.

University of Console Heroics: Chapter 12

With the sun just setting Clay and Faith are walking back to the dorm together. Clay wearing a classy button up dress shirt and a suit jacket. Faith in a nice floral Sunday dress. They are holding hands and grinning like idiots.

“I have to say, this is easily the weirdest and most fun date I have ever been on.” Clay explained.

Faith nodded. “You can admit it. It’s because I’m awesome.” She fake curtsied, making clay laugh.

The wind picked up a bit and she wrapped her arms around herself. Clay noticed, took off his jacket and put it over her shoulders. “You made me eat sushi and play Skee Ball.” He said.

She slid her arms into the sleeves. “What’s wrong with that?” She asked.

“Nothing.” Clay shook his head. “That’s the cool part. I never thought an evening at Super Fun Palace, playing games in the middle of a river of kids would be nearly as much fun as we had.”

Faith nodded and laced her arms around Clay’s. “Well you are better at Skee Ball than pool, that’s for sure.” She giggled.

Clay shrugged his shoulders.

Faith moved in closer to Clay as they walked. The temperature was dropping and it was a decent excuse for bodily contact. Still he noticed it when she shivered as a gust of wind came to life. “It’s going to be a cold night.” She commented.

Clay stopped walking and watched the cars making their way down the main street in front of the campus. It wasn’t long before a suitably stylish car came down the drag and Clay politely disengaged from Faith. “I’ll be right back.” He assured her before jogging out into the middle of the street, he calmly walked up to the car he wanted, opened the driver’s side door and almost gently yanked the driver out of the car. He pointed down the street. “Go on, get.” He said without raising his voice. The Driver scrambled away from the car without further resistance. Faith walked over to the car. Clay put it in park long enough to come around to the passenger side, open her door and hold her hand as she sat down into the car. He then made his way back to the driver’s side, ducked into the car and shut the door.

He flipped the heat on and Faith held her left hand over a vent spewing hot air. He put the car in drive and made his way toward the dormitory parking lot. “It was getting too cold to walk the rest of the way back, this seemed easier.” He was trying not to brag. 

She looked at the sparkle in his eyes and he watched the road. “You really like your major don’t you?” She asked.

Clay smiled and glanced at her when he answered.  “It has its advantages.”

The light turned green and the car turned off the main road toward the housing section of campus.

Later, in the hallway of Faith’s dorm they were holding hands and Clay noticed that her nails had been painted to match the color of her dress.

She smiled as he kissed the back of her hand. “So do all Thug Studies majors leave fifty bucks in the cars they steal?” She asked.

Clay smiled awkwardly. “You saw that?” He asked. She nodded. “Yeah I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m not the best Thug Studies major.” He admitted.

She shook her head. “Actually I think it shows character and a sense of honor.”

Clay smiled in spite of himself. “Both of which will get me nowhere in Thug Studies.” He sighed.

Faith gave a little shrug. “Maybe switch majors?” It was instantly clear that her suggestion made him uncomfortable. They finally reached her door and she decided to change the subject. “So, wanna watch a movie or something?” She asked casually.”

He kissed the back of her hand again to hide his reflexive smile. “Tempting, but I can’t” He tried to politely decline.

Faith stopped smiling and wasn’t hiding the fact that the rejection hurt. “Is something wrong?” She asked.

Clay shook his head. “Not in the least. I just don’t want you to wake up in the morning worried about what I’m going to tell my brothers about you.” He couldn’t take his eyes off his feet.

She touched the side of his face and he looked her in the eye. “I don’t think you’re the kind of person to kiss and tell.” She smiled at him and he smiled. Back.

“When you know I’m not, then I’ll spend the night.” He confirmed with a chaste kiss. 

She turned into a full blown kiss before she leaned a little further and whispered in his ear. “Clay, my roommate is gone for the weekend. Neither of us is an angel, but come in for a while, and have Faith.” She moved away, turned toward her door and led him inside.

Shades of Justice: Chapter 16

It was five twenty and Kelly was twenty seven laps into her morning mile swim. She had left the school but her coach worked at the Y.M.C.A and had given her access to the pool. Some kids swam because the team had a long history of victory. Others swam because no other sport appealed to them or their friends swam. Kelly swam because it gave her peace of mind. Following the line on the bottom of the pool had become a sort of mediation for her.

As she headed into the last half of her laps she began to feel like someone else was in the pool with her, while not uncommon she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. She rebounded off the wall and tried to out swim the hysteria rising in her chest. She started to panic, the water had become too choppy to see where she was, she began to flail her arms trying to find the surface, she felt lost, scared and confused. Suddenly a single desire filled her mind. She needed to breathe. She dove for the surface in a panic, terrified that she might suffocate. Her head broke the surface of the water, she took big gulps of air, wiped the water from her face and looked around the pool. She was alone, standing in the four foot section of the pool. The panic was gone, the paranoia was nonexistent. She gave herself a few seconds to shake off what was left of the quickly receding panic off and dove back into the water.

By five fifty she had gone ten laps past the mile to cool down. When she could delay no longer she climbed out of the pool and grabbed her towel, revealing her flashing glasses. She threw them on to hear Technarious’ voice 

“Where have you been?” He asked.

“I was getting ready for school, just got out of the shower what’s up?” She asked.

“Something has refaced, off the coast of California, something that shouldn’t exist.” He said, “The others are waiting for you.”

She fished drying off gathered her things and ran into the empty girls locker room to change and teleport to California.

She arrived on the roof of a beach side hotel next to the other Shades. They were watching five impossibly large tentacles emerge from the ocean, flailing wildly creating chaos and destruction on the coast line. She felt the same exact panic from the pool well up inside her and she had no clue how but she knew she was feeling what this creature was feeling.

“Nice of you to drop by.” Sonya greeted her.

Kelly held up her middle finger. “I was in the shower, sue me.”

“How many laps you do in the shower every morning?” Sonya shot back.

Kelly’s advance on Sonya was stopped by Dante. “Hey! We’re all tired and stressed, this isn’t a prison sentence. She wasn’t neglecting her duties and I can guarantee she won’t be the last one of us that is going to miss a few calls. Life is unfair like that. Now, let’s call blinding light and get rid of whatever that thing is.”

Kelly relaxed and Sonya threw her hand in the air. The others followed her lead and together they called their giant Mecha. It appeared a ways into the surf as far away from fleeing beach goes as possible and the Shades teleported in to the command station.

Blinding light came to life and launched itself at the closest two tentacles grabbing one with each of its hands. Each of the tentacles wrapped itself around the arm of the hand that had grabbed it. The other three tentacles zeroed in on Blinding light and began to wrap themselves around its legs and chest as Blinding Light futilely tried to fight its way free.